Mile Zero
by Solaris Nightfire
Summary: Steele has been aquitted of his crimes against Nome and is looking to restore his name. The racing season is about to get under way and he meets a unique friend that might be able to help him. Old rivals will meet again and have to work together in this tale of brotherhood and dog sled racing. Collab with Steelefan and Kodiwolf321. Rated T for language and violence.
1. Prologue

Prologue. Nome Alaska, Late October 1928.

It had been a long night in this small town for the town's head canine cop and this whole week was only about to get longer

Yesterday he had aquitted one of the most trechorous villians in the town's history of all of his crimes against the town in 1925 and today he had a press conference to explain his reasoning for why he had done so. He hated these kind of events and the critisism that went with them. Today was gonna be a brutal day and the hellishly cold weather was not helping matters either.

It was half past noon and the press room was packed with pretty much every resident in town. He only had one chance to get this decision right and now he had to speak his reasoning for it. That moment was right now.

"As many of you know, The reason I have called this conference today is to inform you of my decision to aquit the notorius villian from the 1925 serum run of his wrongdoings against our fine town here in Nome, Over the last few days I have followed my plantiff around and watched his every move and heard his every word and from what I gathered all he was is a lost soul in search of starting over. And why the town had exiled him I thought at this point four years later was not a good enough reason to keep him out any longer. From what I have gathered he really is willing to mend any bridges and fix the damages he he has caused in this community, So I call upon you all to help my cause today and just let the past be the past. This guy may have done some fucked up things in the past but that's not today and I truely think we can help him straighten out his fucked up path and stop the bleeding. Now you all know the racing season is starting in a few weeks and I think I know exactly how I'm gonna begin this process...

Well I won't bore you with any more of the formalities but the meeting was met with a mixed reaction as he had expected and he was off to talk to the team members themselves today about his idea. He was sure due to Steele's ex-rival Balto being their leader that there was gonna be a sense of distrust among them but he was confident that this was gonna work out fine. If anyone understood what forgiveness was Balto was that guy and he certainly was not one to harbor bitterness towards anyone for long. Or so Solaris thought...This was gonna be a long night...

Stay tuned folks. This is only the beginning... 


	2. Calm Before The Storm

Today was an important day for Solaris and really an important day for Steele as well whom he was taking to try and get a spot on the upcoming season's racing championship team. This was important because it would be an important step in clearing Steele's name in town.

After a few minutes of travel from the 'Town Hall' of sorts they came to this shed like building that housed the team and all of it's equipment in the offseason. "Is anyone here?" Solaris asks aloud to see if anyone responded. No point in this if they weren't there, Well at least not for today. It was a little later in the evening so they weren't positive anyone would be there. Fortunately there was someone there. What luck. today was going well so far "Who goes there?" Kallisto asks back

"It's Solaris, and I'm here to inquire about a spot on the team for the 1929 season"

Before Kallisto could answer back a young man about the age twenty five. "Hey sorry I'm late town meetings are the worst... who's this guy? And where is everyone else?" the young human asked. Solaris looked up at the human before answering Kirby walked in. "Hey Johan where have you been the whole team is looking for you," Kirby pointed out, Johan looked at Kirby and chuckled. "Well its a good thing you found me. Because i was looking for everyone else until I found Solaris and this new guy here," Johan said as he crossed his arms and looked at Kallisto.

"My name is Solaris, You may know me as the lawkeeper here in Nome on our side" Solaris answered "So you must be that kid that's been giving race organizers hell for years now" he adds sarcastically

But little did he know how true it was of a statement. Johan had been baffling race promoters, organizers and other mushers for years on how he and his team were so good. Apparently this was why.

"So I have Steele here with me and we were wondering if there we're any openings on your team here?" Solaris asks. "I need a little cooperation here on this. This guy's got the whole town hating him and I figure this might be a good way to possibly start clearing his name of its dark past"

He winced a bit at the part about dark pasts. knowing how that was all too well due to his own past in a fighting ring before he came to Nome. but that was another story for another day.

Johan eyes grew wide. "Are you sure about this Solaris? I mean Steele has gotten a bad record since the serum run you know," Johan explained still shocked that Solaris would even consider to put Steele on the team and clear his name from the town. Kirby shook his head. "Yeah why should we help Steele out and put him in our team?" Kirby asked Johan looked at Kirby then back at Solaris. "I'm fine for whatever goes but I'm not the one you should talk too," Johan said crossing his arms once more. "Then who should we talk too?" Kirby asked looking up at Johan. Johan sighed and looked down at Kirby. "Balto," Johan replied.

"Because I have followed him around town over the last few weeks and I have seen many redeeming qualities in this guy. Plus I was raised with the moral of letting the past be gone with the rising sun. Everyday is a new chance to start over and I fully believe he is simply wanting nothing more than to start over" He says and then adds "Come on guys, let's give it a shot. what's the worst that can happen, you all forget this guy's a hell of a good racer!"

"I'll also be going as well to oversee that nothing goes wrong if you have a spot for me, if it does then I can overturn my verdict faster than you can say mush"

Johan only chuckled and rubbed the back of his neck as Solaris explained everything. "Alright fine but I'm not getting on Balto's or Kodi's bad side on this one. you can deal with them and what about the wolf you were talking too?. "Come guys are we going to stand around here or are we going to go talk to Balto and Kodi about Steele joining the team?" Kirby said with a chuckled under his breath. Johan as him and Kirby headed for the door.

"Yeah lets do it" Solaris said 'I sure hope this goes well' he thought as he followed the group to discuss the situtation. "I assure you it will be fine, I've never not held anyone to my word" Within a few minutes of travel they were there.

The three of them walk inside the boiler room finding the rest of the team and finding Balto and Kodi sitting next to each other talking to the rest of the team. Kodi turns and looks at the three of them walking inside. "Hey there they are!" Kodi points out to the three of them. Johan awkwardly smiles at his team as he made his way to Balto and Kodi. Johan cups his hands together and whispers into Balto's ears. "We have something we need to tell you alone," Johan whispers into Baltos ear. Balto looked up at Johan and nods. "Hey Everyone I will be right back I to talk with Johan," Balto announces as he stands up with Kodi by his side and heads into the hidden room of the boiler room and started talking.

"So I'm here to see if there's any job openings on this team, As you know my intentions I wont bore you with details" Solaris says "I can assure you as the sheriff and lawkeeper in this town if anything goes wrong that I will overturn anything I undid last week, You have my honest word and my word is as pure as 24k gold" he adds assuringly

Huy, this was gonna be a long afternoon here, Solaris thought silently as he awaited their comment.

Johan sighed and looked down away from Balto and Kodi. "It looks we have a new team member," Johan announced. Balto raised one eye brow. "Oh and who's that?" Balto asked Johan looked up at the ceiling and chuckled. Balto then cocked his head to the left head to right. "What's so funny?" Balto asked Johan chuckled again. "Okay here's the funny part we thought that maybe would have Steele join our team," Johan explained. Balto's eyes widened in shock. Kodi looked at his father in shock as well. "What's the meaning of this?" Balto asked Johan chuckled once more and looked at Solaris. "Ask you third in command over there because I'm going to stay out of this," Johan said crossed his arms as he watched Solaris about to say something.

"So I know this guy's done you wrong before but wait here while I go get him" Solaris says and bolts out the door for a few moments to go catch up with and bring Steele back with him, after a moment or two he finally caught up to him 'Damn he moves from point to point fast' Solaris thought

"Steele, I have some good news for you, I just got you back on the championship team here in town for the upcoming season, BUT I'm also on the team now as well, So I'll be watching your every move. Come with me so I can introduce you to the rest of the team" he said to him, somewhat out of breath from running the last few minutes 'I need to start training asap' he thought 'too out of shape'

"Follow me" he said next

"Could you please come in Steele" he asks from inside the building where the team was "this is gonna be fun...' he thought "Now before you all want to kill me, I'm the lawkeeper need I remind you and I'll be with you all the whole time, if anything goes wrong my punishment will be tenfold and terrible, You have my word" He says to his now unnerved teammates.

teele and Solaris walked through the crowed getting eyes on them. once they passed everyone and walked into the hidden room. Balto felt sick to his stomach as Steele walked into the room. Kodi started to growl as Johan looked away from Steele. No said a word beside watch each others movements. Balto looked into Steele's eyes but didn't say anything. Balto looked up at Johan in anger. "I can't take this," Balto said as he pushed aside Steele and walked outside of the boiler room. Johan sighed. "What did I tell you," Johan said as he followed Balto outside.

"What the fuck was that?" Solaris now growls in intense frustration

"You all think being fucking insensitive assholes about this is gonna solve anything?" He scolded "NO! It only makes you all look more fucked up then he USED to be! Believe me I didn't trust him at all based on what I knew about him when we first crossed paths but over the last three weeks watching his every move he's shown me anyone can change their ways for the better. Do you all honestly think I would do this and jeopardize MY TOWN's safety if I didnt absolutely trust this guy. Hell fucking no. If you guys are truely my friends and the people everyone tells me you are then you'll lose the negativity and give us a fucking chance for crying out loud!" He adds "I'm going to go calm down before I do something I fucking regret" He practically spits out in fury as he storms out

"Balto wait lets talk about this," Johan shouted to him as they walked down the street. Balto looked back seeing Johan following. "I don't think we have anything to talk about," Balto said in anger as he continued to walk on. "Balto please your making a scene," Johan shouted back to him as people started to look at him weird . Balto shook his head, "Your the one making a scene humans cant hear but you!" Balto shot back Johan stop chasing Balto and shook his head. "Why can't I get paid more for this," Johan said just as Solaris showed up beside him. Johan looked down at Solaris. "You want to talk to him because I already I wasn't going to get on his bad side," Johan said as Solaris nodded and started after Balto.

"I got this, don't worry" Solaris said 'Goddamnit why cant this job be eaiser' he thought as he went to confront and try to talk some sense into Balto

"Balto please hear me out, I would not be here right now doing this if I didn't trust him and I made a promise that I would help him to the best of my ability, over the last few weeks the guy's been totally depressed and remorseful about the last 5 years and all he wants is to start over from the beginning, if it wasn't for me he would have been another suicide victim and I was the saving grace that he needed so badly. Of all people I've ever met I figured you would be the one with understanding and right now I'm so sad and disappointed to find I have been wrong all this time. But you can still prove me wrong. Give this dying soul a chance to shine again and just maybe you'll see why I gave this guy one more chance." Solaris said calmly, hiding the evident disappointment in his soul well.

An awkward silence passed over the next few minutes. "Please just let me give it a try. I don't ask much of my people as personal favors. Just please can for once we let the past remain the past?" he asked pleadingly.

This had not been a good day for Solaris and he was losing his composure quickly, his dismay and disappointment had really torn at his emotions and he was very close to just breaking down now "Do it for a friend. just please. One chance is all I ask of you"

"Alright just one chance but that's it and after this is all done I don't want anything to do with him afterwards," Balto said simply as he turned and walked away from Solaris. Solaris walked back to Johan. "So how did it go?" Johan asked sitting on a small staircase. Solaris didn't reply he just nodded and moved on to the boiler room. Johan just sat there and watched him walked to the Boiler room. "Well I'm going to take that as a good thing," Johan said to himself.

'That was rough' Solaris thought to himself. "I'll be back here tomorrow to start training since I'm really out of shape. Being a cop is not the most physical job on earth" He said as he left for home that night

"I have to go, my master is probably worried sick now about me, goodnight guys" he added and headed out for his house on the edge of town. He needed the rest badly now, he was emotionally, mentally and physically spent after this rough day...For now tomorrow was so distant and no one knew what it would bring...

=================  
AUTHOR'S NOTE  
=================

This Chapter was partially based on lyrics from the song "This Dying Soul" by the Progressive Metal band Dream Theater

[Lyrics by Mike Portnoy]

[IV. Reflections of Reality (Revisited)]

Hello, Mirror - so glad to see you my friend, it's been a while  
Searching, Fearless - where do I begin to heal this wound of self-denial

Face yourself man!  
Brace yourself and trace your hell back

You've been blinded, living lie a one way cold existence all the while  
Now it's time to stare the problem right between the eyes you long lost child

I wanna feel your body breaking  
Wanna feel your body breaking and shaking and left in the cold  
I want to heal your conscience making a change to fix this dying soul

Born into this world a broken home  
Surrounded by love yet all alone  
Forced into a life that's split in two  
A mother and a father both pulling you

Then you had to deal with loss and death  
Everybody thinking they know best  
Coping with this shit at such an age  
Can only fill a kid with pain and rage

Family disease pumped through your blood  
Never had the chance you thought you could  
Running all the while with no escape  
Turning all that pain in to blame and hate

Living on your own by twenty one  
Not a single care and having fun  
Consuming all the life in front of you  
Burning out the fuse and smoking the residue

Possessive obsessions selfish childish games  
Vengeful resentments  
Passing all the blame  
Living out a life of decadence  
Acing without thought of consequence  
Spreading all your lies from coast to coast  
While spitting on the ones that matter most

Running power mad with no control  
Fighting for the credit they once stole  
No one can ever tell you what to do  
Ruling other's lives while the can't stand the thought of you

A living reflection seen from miles away  
A hopeless affliction having run astray

I wanna feel your body breaking  
Wanna feel your body breaking and shaking and left in the cold  
I want to heal your conscience making a change to fix this dying soul

Now that you can see all you have done  
It's time to take that step into the kingdom  
All your sins will only make you strong  
And help you break right through the prison wall

[V. Release]

Come to me my friend (Listen to me)  
I'll help this torture end (Help to set me free)  
Let your ego go (I can't carry this load)  
You can't go through this alone (I feel so hopeless and exposed)  
You'll find your peace of mind (Give me some direction)  
You can no longer hide (Break out of this isolation)  
Let humility (Openness, honesty)  
And become what you can be (A healing tranquility)

Help me  
Save me  
Heal me  
I can't break out of this prison all alone

These tormenting ghosts of yesterday  
Will vanish when exposed  
You can't hold onto your secrets  
They'll only send you back alone

Your fearless admissions  
Will help expel your destructive obsessions  
With my help I know you can  
Be at one with God and man

Hear me  
Believe me  
Take me  
I'm ready to break right through this prison wall


End file.
